34 replies to this topic

[XXX]

After snapping my cable last week, I purchased an ElizP987 cable from another forum member that no longer had a use for it (thanks, Matt ) and went about replacing it today. Easy job, took about 20 minutes. Worst problem was feeding new cable through but got there in the end.......

I knew my cable was rusty as I had noticed before and it eventually snapped last week. On inspection, the adjuster had bent as shown. I now realise that (as I panicked to put roof on in a torrential downpour) I had not lined the roof up properly and stressed the cable and snapped it



You can see the difference with the replacement cable - much more secure fixing



and my old, bent adjuster



The cable is secured by a bolt hidden underneath a piece of fabric that is glued in place. Peel this back to expose the bolt. A small allen key is required (think prob 2mm) to undo bolt



Now the fun bit. By taping the old cable to the new it can be pulled through. The fabric is pretty tight and the combined thickness of both cables makes it hard to pull through without the two cables coming apart. I found the best way was to hook the old cable through the bolt-hole on the new cable (so it isnt quite so thick) and taping with strong duct tape. I wet the end which helped it run through easier



Once through, secure both the ends.



Re-glue the fabric that was peeled back and adjust cable as required when fitting. I found it easier to unbolt the adjuster end of cable to adjust it, as the when tightning or loosening, the entire cable turns and by ubolting it it turns easier, if you see what I mean....

Pretty easy job. Thanks Liz and matt

[snoopstah]

Good guide! The one slight downside of the replacement cable compared to the Vauxhall one is that you can't adjust the length without removing the bolt hidden under that piece of fabric (unless I've missed something) - with the standard cable, the cable is free to rotate in the adjuster, making it a very quick and easy job to change the overall length and hence cable tightness. Having said that, that minor downside is far outweighed by the major upside of the better quality cable - I've replaced one of my cables with the Vauxhall part, and one with the ElizP987 part, and the ElizP987 part was both easier to feed through and obviously better quality.

[theotherjonnymac]

Excellent guide. I hope I never need it but then I do have the roof on and off several times a day so perhaps it is only a matter of time.

[XXX]

The one slight downside of the replacement cable compared to the Vauxhall one is that you can't adjust the length without removing the bolt hidden under that piece of fabric (unless I've missed something) - with the standard cable, the cable is free to rotate in the adjuster, making it a very quick and easy job to change the overall length and hence cable tightness.

That's what I meant with my final comment about adjusting it. If you try to adjust it, the entire cable rotates and, because it is so tight in the roof lining it is almost impossible to turn more than a couple of rotations. The only easy way to do it is the unbolt the cable at the adjuster end. I have not yet re-glued the fabric as I guess the cable may stretch a tad so may need adjusting at a later date.

[Silverback]

Glad you got it fitted OK, nice guide

[dw1]

Great guide thanks. Can this be put on the stickies thread. I've bought an Eliz cable just in case the day comes 'twang'

[Guy182]

bollocks.. was pulling it through and it came off so now im stuck

[ElizP987]

bollocks.. was pulling it through and it came off


so now im stuck

whats come off?

[Guy182]

i tried pulling the new cable through with the old cable.. but it got so tight the old cable came off (oo.er) so now i need some ingenius way of squeezing the new cable through the mega tight hole in the soft top i think i need to remove some stitching as i cant even fit a pencil down there..

[ElizP987]

ahh, I see I thought the new cable had broke in some way

[Guy182]

finally done, fingers kill, what an absolute twat! my roof must be diff to everyone elses as i had to remove a line of stitching to even get a remote cahnce of getting it through. cheers liz for the cable

[Stuey]

Hmm.. just tried to fit mine. There is no way in hell that my new cable will fit in the hole. Plus the old one is stuck in there anyway. How much stitching did you undo??

[southpaw]

Just fitted mine Took me longer to find this thread than it did to fit the cable The old and new cable came unstuck as I was halfway through pulling it across and I still managed to complete in about 1hr. 0 swear words job in 'southpaw' parlance

[The Batman]

Just fitted mine

Took me longer to find this thread than it did to fit the cable

The old and new cable came unstuck as I was halfway through pulling it across and I still managed to complete in about 1hr.

0 swear words job in 'southpaw' parlance

whats your address?

[RobNA]

Mine are looking rusty. I suppose I should get a couple of new ones before they actually go How much are they?

[southpaw]

Just fitted mine

Took me longer to find this thread than it did to fit the cable

The old and new cable came unstuck as I was halfway through pulling it across and I still managed to complete in about 1hr.

0 swear words job in 'southpaw' parlance

whats your address?

if you're ever in Southampton I'd lend a hand if needed.

Mine are looking rusty. I suppose I should get a couple of new ones before they actually go How much are they?

If they're just rusty I'd say you have a while to go before they break - half of my individual cables had freyed and I still got 3 months before ping

but if you want to be prepared - £28 + £2P&P from Elizp987 on here

[Winter]

My cable snapped last week... so thanks for posting this excellent guide and thanks Liz for the cable!

I deviated from the guide a little bit by attaching the new cable to the intact end of the original one, using a bit of wire coathanger through the bolt holes. This means there's virtually no chance of the cables coming apart half way through. HTH

[Amoger]

This guide looks v useful, ta. My front soft-top cable snapped on Mon night, ordered the part yesterday, hoping for delivery/getting it fixed today. Wondering if the best solution for fitting it through the soft top isn't to drag a piece of string with the broken cable (smaller/less likely to come off), then use that to drag through the new cable. Though also like the suggestion above from "Winter" of using the non broken end to firmly attach the new cable (ie dragging it through in the other direction). One "pre-issue" I've had - although I've got a set of metric allen keys, the one that looks like it should fit, doesn't. So ordered a full set of metric & imperial (30 keys) from Ebay for £8. Can't imagine one of those won't work. Was tempted to order two cables for if/when the other one goes, but with delivery taking only a day or two, think I'll chance it. 04 Tubby so had 6yrs out of them, with the roof being folded every time I get in/out in garage.

[Amoger]

Metric after all - 3mm Allen key.

[Amoger]

Still waiting for cable to come, but it's a definite stitch unpick job. Tried pulling first part of old cable through, and absolutely not a chance. Could be a tubby/NA difference, or age - I have two lines of stitching along the roof-length "tunnel" that takes the cable, so in the process of removing one of them to make it large enough to drag the cable through. Does add a bit of time to the job.